Heed 7 modifier tips to get your global-surgical claims through

Why This Topic Matters

Global surgical claims are often delayed or denied when modifiers are applied incorrectly or omitted. This topic matters to coding and billing staff who want to understand broad reporting situations that can affect compliance and payment.

Article Sections

1. Decision-making E/M visits for surgery

   Discusses when an E/M encounter may be associated with a decision for surgery and the broader global period context.

2. Same-day E/M and procedure scenarios

   Covers general issues that can arise when an evaluation and a procedure occur on the same date of service and require separate reporting consideration.

3. Unrelated post-operative care

   Explains the broad concept of reporting post-operative services that are unrelated to the original procedure and the need for supporting documentation.

4. Unrelated procedures during the post-operative period

   Addresses situations in which a later procedure occurs during an existing global period but is unrelated to the prior surgery.

5. Bilateral procedures

   Reviews general considerations for reporting services performed on both sides and common payer-edit concerns.

6. Multiple procedures and distinct services

   Summarizes broad reporting considerations when more than one procedure is performed on the same date of service, including bundled and unbundled services.

7. Transfer-of-care situations

   Covers split-care scenarios in which surgical and post-operative responsibilities are handled by different providers.